Shropshire bank robbers told to hand back £61,000

Three members of an armed gang from Salford who raided a Shropshire bank two years ago have had a total of almost £61,000 confiscated by a court order issued in Wolverhampton.

Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, robbers David Dargan, Paul Fielding and Brian Moran must pay the money or face further time in prison.

The confiscation orders were imposed at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday when Judge Michael Challinor told all three men they had six months to hand over the cash or face an additional year in jail.

The judge also made an order for a nominal £1 payment against Colin Farrell, also from Salford, who was said to have no realizable assets.

The confiscation hearing for another member of the gang, Gregory Burke from Stretford, was adjourned until the new year because he was ill and unable to attend court.

At yesterday's hearing Mr Stephen Bacon, prosecuting, said that £425,000 was taken in the robbery at the Lloyds TSB branch at Dawley in Telford in September, 2008, and none of the cash had been recovered.

"It has been determined that the criminal benefit for each of the five defendants was around £85,000, which is equal to one-fifth of the total amount stolen. Half of that is said to have gone to the organisers of the robbery."